


The Best in You

by Dheerse



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, we all gay here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-18 00:32:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14201044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dheerse/pseuds/Dheerse
Summary: "The young woman was observant in their polite interaction. Sesshomaru had an odd callousness to his kind side, a brute strength behind his presence. Kagome soon realised a truth to one of Rin’s many statements about the man.He had a crumpled, undernourished sort of care for the few ones he'd willingly let himself be surrounded by."Kagome finds herself yearning for more than just the village life. In her search for more she finds herself making an unlikely friend; Sesshomaru.





	The Best in You

Every odd time Sesshomaru visited, he’d sit with her like this, late in the evening, after Rin had long gone to bed. Only on the evenings Inuyasha wasn’t there, when he and Miroku would go and help elsewhere.

Kagome didn’t keep their arrangement secret - she’d tell lengthy stories about it until the hanyou rolled his eyes. It was simply the fact that nights where he was present, were best spent with him and not his older brother. 

She sometimes wondered if Inuyasha was jealous. Jealous of his brother for this strange friendship they crafted week after week - or perhaps jealous of the ease Kagome had with bringing out the kinder, rarer side of Sesshomaru.

 

It all began when one morning, during one of his regular visits, Rin was nowhere to be found. The girl had gone along with Inuyasha to a village further than the others he’d go to. She went to search for a gift to offer to her guardian. 

 

“He won’t want it,” Inuyasha had remarked, a soft smile breaking his pretend mockery.

 

To his surprise, Rin was inclined to agree.

“I know,” she'd told him, “Can we go now?” 

 

With her out of the picture, Sesshomaru really had no reason to stick around. 

The same, however, could be said for Kagome. Sango rarely found time to talk, with the men up and gone; leaving her to care for all three children. Inuyasha had been the sole reason for her being in this time and place in the first place - or so she told herself, when she contemplated other reasons - but with him gone so frequently, she rarely knew what to do with herself.

 

“They might come back early!” she had told him, lying through her teeth, gritted in a toothy smile, 

“You could stick with me and wait.” 

 

It was a particularly idiotic request borne from a desperate, isolated mind. 

Kagome's surprise was great when he actually sat with her in the damp grass after an impossibly long moment of contemplation.

 

The young woman was observant in their polite interaction. Sesshomaru had an odd callousness to his kind side, a brute strength behind his presence. Kagome soon realised a truth to one of Rin’s many statements about the man. 

 

_ He had a crumpled, undernourished sort of care for the few ones he'd willingly let himself be surrounded by. _

 

In a way it left you scratching your head; how do you give nothing to someone, much less split it up between the people that could actually stand you for the amount of time it took him to figure out this conundrum himself.

 

“Did you bring another present for Rin?” She took note of how he seemingly closed up more, a self-conscious tuck at his shirt. She took note of how he wasn't wearing any armour, nor his pelt. 

 

He had seemingly made that a habit for his longer planned visits. Kagome found it almost endearing, the subtle ways he'd show Rin he cared. Or perhaps Inuyasha was right and he just didn't want every humans attention glued to him whenever he’d walk past the last trees on the border of the forest.

Either way, Kagome could appreciate the look. Had it not been for the two swords secured at his waist he would look almost casual. An adjective that would otherwise be the antithesis of everything the youkai stood for. 

 

When he spoke, he spoke low, a monotone rumble that might've sounded like growling had Kagome not been paying such close attention. 

 

Their conversation that day continued in a similarly one sided fashion; Kagome would talk and question and Sesshomaru would, if at all, grunt out a response half heartedly or simply give her a look as if to tell her to drop that particular train of thought.

 

At the end of the day, Rin and Inuyasha had predictably not returned early, so Sesshomaru left, presumed gift still in tow. 

 

Later that night, she woke up Sango to tell her about her little adventure. The other woman was naturally surprised and asked about details despite her sleep deprivation, and Kagome appreciated her enthusiasm. At least she wasn't alone in thinking this was a groundbreaking achievement for socialising. 

 

Once Sesshomaru returned a few nights later, a gift not only for Rin but also for Kagome with him, both parties came to terms with the fact that they had made an incredibly unlikely friend.

  
  


In the following weeks Kagome would learn a lot about the youkai. 

He was curious about the world and would ask Kagome this and that about the future once she had revealed to him where she really came from. She skillfully maneuvered around certain topics, scared she would influence events, considering the youkai's life expectancy. 

 

She was surprised to find out that he wasn't as old as she had previously assumed. He was old, older than any human being of this time period. He hadn't however reached what people in her time would consider a humans life expectancy, yet. Were her calculations correct he wouldn't even be older than her grandfather.

It seemed odd. Something so  _ not  _ out of the realm of possibility yet somehow wrong. When Kagome thought of immortal beings she thought of ancient creatures, centuries old and wise beyond anyone's years; unchanging. 

She didn't think of young men that looked to be in their early twenties, that had learned and grown just as much as she had in that year they'd met. 

 

“Did you ever find out what happens when someone dies?”, Kagome asked him one time. The question seemed reasonable enough to ask of someone with his abilities. 

She had only seen him use Tenseiga once, but she guessed he must've used it before since he seemed to know what he was doing, at least to an extent. 

 

“No,” he replied after a pause. The miko thought she saw his eyebrows bunch up moments before the word left his mouth, as if unsure of his own whispered words.

 

“Huh…”, she said before deciding to press the matter more. “Couldn't you just kill someone and bring them back to find out?”

It would be awfully cruel, Kagome wanted to add, but not out of the realm of things the youkai would do to satiate his curiosity. If he cared at all. 

 

Kagome watched him closely, his eyes would narrow slightly when he was considering things like that. As though he was angry at someone for not knowing already. Maybe angry at himself.

 

“In my experience”, he finally said, an almost sarcastic tone to his voice, “the dead don't remember dying.” 

His eyes fell on her in that moment and they stayed on her for a while before he stood and left, done humouring her for the evening. 

Kagome contemplated that look for the rest of the night. He looked expectant; like he had referenced an old tale and had expected her to finish his thought, just to be sorely disappointed in her lack of participation. 

  
  


When Kagome was a pre-teen, she had told anyone that cared to ask about her plans of traveling the world. Before settling down, she had decided to see everything there was to see. 

 

She had immensely enjoyed her year in the past. When she was stuck in the future, of her time rather, she missed many things about her time with Inuyasha.

 

Of course her friends were a huge part of her yearning for things passed. But there was also the lingering disappointment. 

This was the end of her adventure. It's time to settle into normalcy. 

Even then, it was Sesshomaru that brought her back to her dream state. It would be most fitting for him to do the same now. 

 

One time he told her about travelling alone. It was late at night. Later than what she'd usually consider too late. But Sesshomaru had been awfully talkative this evening. If he could bear to talk about it she could bear to listen.

He barely mentioned his father's name quickly before moving on. Avoiding the topic like running on hot sand. She didn't tell him she was sorry for his loss.

Kagome was certain he didn't mention him for pity’s, but for the story’s completion's sake.

 

After that he was more open about Kagome's questions regarding his travel. She felt bound to this place so she would willingly live through Sesshomaru.

 

Sometimes she'd talk about her life in the village. About Sango and how much she liked spending time with her and the children. With Miroku and Inuyasha gone so frequently it felt almost like Sango’s and Kagome's own little family. She was certain Sesshomaru couldn't care less. He had yet to leave however so she continued. 

 

“It's nice to have someone that feels the same as you,” Kagome told him, glancing at him, “you know?” 

 

She thought she almost saw him smirk at her, though once she turned her head to face him, the youkai's perfect face was once again in its most natural rigid state.

 

“I see.” He said simply. His voice didn't carry the disinterested quality it usually had to it and the fabled smirk once again creeped onto his face, leaving Kagome to wonder if even he just couldn't help himself sometimes.

She heard blood run through her ears as her face and neck burned in embarrassment. 

For once she was the one to get up and leave. 

 

That night she had asked Sango to take a bath with her, wanting to talk to her. She told her about that evenings conversation, strategically leaving out whenever she mentioned the young mother, unsure if that'd upset her. 

She felt comfortable like this. Spending time with Sango was easy, was natural. Whereas spending time with Sesshomaru was more often than not adrenaline inducing. Her heart raced whenever she thought of their meetings. 

 

“I think I have a crush on Sesshomaru.” 

Kagome blurted out after a long stretch of silence. 

 

Sango's eyes grew wide, worrying Kagome that they might pop out of her skull, before the younger of the two women averted her eyes. 

 

“I’m not sure, though,” she stuttered to once again break the nervous quiet.

 

“Kagome,” Sango began, voice unsteady and still carrying shock, “that's crazy!”

Kagome thought that she almost sounded a little disappointed. She hoped Sango’s demon slaying past wouldn't cloud her judgement regarding Kagome’s strange feelings. 

Kagome told her that it was hard. 

That she didn't not like Inuyasha. 

That's she couldn't even quite pinpoint what she liked about Sesshomaru. 

 

A couple of weeks went by before Sesshomaru found the time to sit with her. 

Kagome sat further from him than usual, though he made no indication that he noticed. 

Until you told him, he didn't seem to notice if someone was upset. One of his many oddities that came in handy for once. 

 

At some point, Sesshomaru had willingly subjected himself to this, so - Kagome filled her lungs to the brim - he’d just have to deal with this.

 

“I think -”, Sesshomaru’s eyes found hers, as unblinking as they were intense, waiting for her to continue. Kagome swallow thickly.

“I think I might like you… differently than anticipated.”

 

She fiddled with her hands, thrust back into her middle school self. She glanced at him through her bangs making a mental note of every little one of his subtle movements, the way his ears twitched as his jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed in the way that indicated he did not  _ quite _ understand what she was on about. She felt like a detective, collecting the clues to a murder mystery seconds before the killer in question straight up told her he was just gonna kill her. 

 

Kagome could feel her quickened heart beating out of her throat, every excruciatingly long second shortening her life by years. 

 

“No, you don’t.” 

 

His spoke calmly, carefully. There was that certain finality to his words. But instead of getting up and leaving her for good, he stayed; he even turned to face her for once.

 

Kagome's eyebrows shot up, like a slingshot you had kept at too much tension for too long. 

Similarly, the miko could feel the tension drain from her body. It wasn't the response she expected, this one leaving her much more confused than mortified; or dead. 

 

“How do you know?”, She wondered aloud. He wasn't introspective, so she was weary of his assessment. 

 

“You don’t enjoy your life here.” 

 

Kagome couldn't argue with that.

 

“I am merely the antithesis of what you dislike.” Kagome felt her face heat up once again. More in shame than embarrassment. Surely, if Sesshomaru could figure this out, it must've been clear to anyone but her.  

She wasn't sure if that was the whole truth but she opted to not bring up the youkai's pretty face. Kagome doubted he’d need the confidence boost. 

 

“In a way you remind me of my mother.”

Something akin to a dawning realisation broke his icy mask, averting his eyes he closed his mouth tightly. Kagome carefully scooted closer.

Compared to his mother, his father might've been his favourite topic to bring up. He’d mentioned her so rarely in the years they’d been at this that sometimes she came up with wild scenarios of his origin. Perhaps he had just fallen from the sky one day, fully grown. Or maybe Totosai had forged him from one of his father's fangs.

 

Suddenly, Sesshomaru rose, not quite taking off quite yet but just as ready to disappear at any moment, 

 

“Perhaps you should reconsider where you direct your  _ feelings _ .” He pronounced the word with bitterness, reminiscent of the cartoon villains that tended to appear in Souta’s favourite series.

 

“The slayer might be a more suitable candidate.”

Sesshomaru turned to her one last time, taking in her beetish red face. Slowly, a smile split his face, most unlike the smirk he had graced her with months ago.

“Besides,” he said, voice no longer soft or careful, “I would like to think I didn't waste my time with someone so _foolish_.” 

 

He flicked his hair back for emphasis before finally taking off, leaving a blushing Kagome behind.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Just some clearance; I allude to some stuff that might be confusing if you're not familiar with what I'm about:   
> Sesshomaru's mother is gay af  
> I have another fic where Kagome meets an old man sessh in her time  
> Sesshomaru revived Kagome after Inuyasha pushed her like 30 ft down a cliff in the final battle because humans dont fucking survive falls like that  
> i'm gay


End file.
